Wizard Training Wand Jakks Toys : Review

With the release of Fantastic Beasts 2 this Friday 16th November, Jakks Toys have kindly gifted me the children with their very own Wizard Training Wand and we’ve spent the past couple of days testing them out and casting a few spells (sadly I haven’t mastered the spell that tidies the house yet, but I’m hopeful!).

So what’s in the box?

You will receive one of four different Wizard Training Wands alongside some instructions and more importantly the spell casting sheet. You could get Harry Potter’s Wand, Hermione’s, Dumbledore or even Voldemort’s wand. we received Hermione and Harry’s wand.

Each wand looks like the wand from the Harry Potter series and has lots of lovely detailing.

Modes of Play

Aside from casting spells to make my life easier, there are 5 different modes of play with these Wizard Training Wands. Two are stand alone play modes and three are modes you can use to play with a friend: spell training, free play, spell practice, training spells and wizard tag are your five modes of play. The end of the wand lights up and the 5 LED buttons also light up depending on your mode of play.

For the spell training mode, you are shown 11 different spells for you your child to learn and master during the spell training mode. To get into this mode of play, you simply push the first button on the wand once it’s been turned on. Once in this mode, the wand will light up with a set pattern and you need to match the light pattern to the spell chart to know which spell to cast. Some spells are easier to master than the others but you soon get the hang of it. The wand provides you with audio feedback on your spell casting technique; a fizzle sound if you haven’t yet mastered the spell (you can continue until you master it) or one of many other spell sounds followed by a correct sound to congratulate you. You can skip a spell by hitting the spell training mode button to see a different light pattern. You can play this mode indefinitely until you have mastered them all.

As previously mentioned, at first it can be difficult to execute the spells correctly and you might start to feel disheartened. However, once you get the hang of the spells, you are soon drawn into mastering them all. To help, make sure your movements are clear and smooth.

Challenge a friend

Once you feel well-rehearsed, you can move on to your next mode of play. If you have a fellow wizarding friend, you can practice your spells against one another by pushing the second button on the wand. You will need to stand facing each other so the wands can calibrate and recognise what the other wand is doing. Once you have seen the light pattern (it will be the same on both wands) you need to cast your spell. The wizard who completes the spell first (but accurately) wins the round! In the spell practice mode, you rely on speed and accuracy to duel against your component and win all 5 points. If you win, you will be notified by a glowing light and sound effect on your wand. As we’ve only had the wands a couple of days, we aren’t quite ready for the speed element of this mode of play but we’ve still had fun trying to beat one another in terms of accuracy!

The third mode, training spells mode is similar to the spell practice mode but you only need to use the five spells at the bottom of your sheet. Again, you need an opponent to challenge. The first wizard to 5 points wins.

Getting Active

The children’s favourite mode at the moment (mainly because Benjamin is a little small to race against the clock when performing his spells) is the wizard tag. This is activated by pressing the 4th button on the wand. They run around the house hiding from each other before popping out and shooting a spell at the other’s wand. You simply have to hit the cast button on the wand whist pointing your wand at your opponent’s to drain them of their magic powers. You will know you are losing power as your lights will start to go out. If you are really clever, you will learn the re-wind spell early on and by spinning your wand counter-clockwise, you will hear a re-wind sound and see all your lives being replenished.

Finally Free Play Mode allows you to cast which ever spells you like whenever you like so you can enjoy practicing the more tricky spells as much as you need!

Our final thoughts

We love these wands. They are brilliantly engaging and although it says it’s aimed at 8+, my two have absolutely loved dueling against one another. Benjamin is a little small to remember all the spells but with a little help from his big sister, he has managed to master a couple of the easier spells. Un-fazed by the harder spells, Benjamin will keep practicing until he can defeat his sister and when all else fails, he goads her into a game of Wizard Tag and manages to win a few rounds here.

My only one niggle would be that the spell sheet is on the back of the instructions. It would have been great if there was a spell sheet printed on laminated card or something that’s a little more durable and less likely to rip. We have cut this off of the instructions sheet and I will get it laminated so the children can play with it without it ripping.

Hello, I’m Michelle

Hello, I'm Michelle, a mummy to two gorgeous kiddies based in High Wycombe. This blog is for me and my friends to highlight things we like to do with our babies locally, reviews of new products and toys that we like, tips and hints that are helping us to raise our babies as well as any relevant news or articles of interest. I hope you enjoy reading and find it useful.